


Traitor In Their Midst

by Geekygirl24



Series: Assassin's Creed [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassins & Hitmen, Betrayal, F/M, Gen, M/M, Modern Assassins, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-07-24 21:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7523575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekygirl24/pseuds/Geekygirl24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a modern AU of the Assassin's creed series, a bomb shatters the quiet Assassin temple. Fingers are pointed and people arrested....but what will they do, when the evidence points to one of their own</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. The wisdom of our Creed is revealed through these words. Out of the dark, you come into the light. From the light, you will return to the dark. Are you prepared to travel the eagle's path?"

Grandmaster Altair stood at the front of the stage, gazing at the recruits standing before him. One by one, they were expected to come up the front and receive the traditional symbol, whilst reciting the important vows.

“Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember..." 

"Nothing is true." 

"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember..." 

"Everything is permitted."

"We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins."

One by one, each recruit was branded and took a leap of faith off of the top of the Creed church. Once they were all gone, Altair and the rest of the Assassin council took that leap.

It was time for a new generation to begin.


	2. Sabotage

Jacob frowned in concern as he and his sister made their way to the office of Grand-Master Altair. They had been on a mission, when they had received a message stating that the Headquarters of the Assassin’s guild had been attacked earlier that day, in a bombing.

Upon entering Master Altair’s office, they were immediately met by Ezio, Connor, Arno and Malik, who gave them all specific details on the attack. Once finished, Evie frowned, “How could the Templars attack our headquarters, I thought they weren’t aware of its location?”

Altair sighed, “It’s worse than that…”

Frowning Ezio shuffled from side to side, “How can it be any worse, we’ve been attacked!”

“Everything is on the table…” began Malik wearily, “…we have to consider the possibility that this was an inside job…possibly conducted by an Assassin.”

Altair nodded in agreement, “If this was an Assassin….then they can no longer be considered one of us. They are on the same level as our enemies…”

“I-I…” stuttered Connor in surprise, “…I can’t believe that an assassin would even think of attacking the headquarters! It’s practically sacred ground!”

“We’d like for you five to lead the investigation…” ordered Malik, “…You are the most trusted members of the young assassins, and you can get to places that many of our older Masters cannot. We cannot trust anyone who was here…and you will provide an impartial view on the situation, making no assumptions.”

Arno nodded, a stern expression on his face as he processed this heavy burden. “We’ll do everything that we can…”

“You must be careful…” ordered Altair, “…if this attacker is willing to attack our headquarters, then they’ll go to desperate measures in order to make sure that they’re not caught.”

Jacob grinned, “Then we’ll go to even greater lengths in order to catch them!”

……………………………………………………………………..

At the crime scene, the young assassins took a step back…some of the bodies of fellow assassins still remained on the floor (or splattered against the wall). Evie frowned, shaking her head as she hoped to get rid of the horrible smell. “Do you guys really believe that an assassin could have done this?”

“Maybe…” admitted Ezio, “…not every assassin is happy with the new order…some even hold ideals that are very close to the Templar’s. Remember Abbas?”

Abbas was an assassin around the same age of Altair, who tried to steal the Piece of Eden in order to change the order through force. He committed many terrible acts before he was eventually shot dead by Altair.

“B-but a traitor?” stammered Evie

Ezio shrugged, his attention soon being grabbed by a suited gentleman. “Excuse me Sir!” he yelled, “Can we help you?”

The man turned around…to reveal Haytham Kenway. Connor took a step behind his friends as his Father smirked, “Children…Master Malik has insisted that I help with the investigation. I’ll be interviewing the witnesses in order to relieve some of the burden.”

“Why are you interviewing them?” grunted Connor, his arms folded as he frowned at his Father. They had been having troubles recently, ever since Connor officially became an Assassin and found out that his Father had once been on the side of the Templar’s.

Haytham smirked, “Because many people believe the rumours that an assassin was responsible for this attack…we wouldn’t want them to be nervous around you now would we?”

Rolling his eyes, Connor shook his head. “You’re over-exaggerating, as usual. There were assassins killed in this explosion, as well as average citizens…take Jacob with you. He’s one of the more…approachable members of this team. Find out anything you can.”

Jacob saluted his friend and followed Haytham…who clearly wasn’t happy with this arrangement.

……………………………………..

At the village’s hospital, Jacob and Haytham began to interview workers who had been injured in the blast. “Did you notice anything unusual in the hanger?” asked Jacob.

The worker sighed, “Not really…but I left five minutes before the bomb exploded.”

“Did everything seem okay before that?”

“…Everything seemed normal…Is it true that an assassin may be responsible for the attack?”

Jacob desperately tried to school his expression, “Nothing is for certain at the moment…” He and Haytham moved away as Jacob sighed. “I can’t believe all this distrust, some of these people have worked here for years!”

Haytham sighed, “Fear can make even the most trusting of individuals…irrational.”

“I know who did it…” came a voice from behind them, causing the pair to spin around to see another worker, “…I know who set off that bomb!”

Jacob strode over, “Who?”

“I-I believe it was Jacopo…”

“Jacopo?”

“H-he is one of the maintenance crew…”

Jacob’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, “Why do you think it was him?”

“I passed him when I was starting my shift…he had been working all morning in the section that the blast came from. It was the last place I saw him….”

Haytham nodded, his eyes focused on a phone screen, which he then twisted around to show the worker. “Is this him?”

There was a rather plain looking man on the screen, but the worker nodded. “Yes.”

“I need to know…have you seen him since the explosion.”

“No…truthfully I didn’t see much of anything after the explosion.”

Jacob nodded in thanks and the pair left. “Well…” began Jacob, “…it looks as though Jacopo is our main suspect.”

As they were leaving, the rest of the group entered. Jacob frowned at the frustrated look on their faces, “Find anything?” he asked.

Arno shook his head, “No…but the rumour that it’s an Assassin is growing. People are getting angrier, and everyone in the creed is confused.”

“Well, Haytham and I have a lead. We’re looking for a worker called Jacopo…”

Haytham nodded, “A witness saw him near the sight of the blast moments before it happened…and we haven’t been able to find him since.”

Ezio scoffed, “Ridiculous, nobody just disappears!”

“Unless it was well planned out.”

“It would’ve had to have been well planned out for them to get past assassins…” muttered Ezio, “…I’ll go and talk to the guards.”

…………………………………………………………..

As he made his way out of the hospital, Ezio spotted a small crowd that had congregated in order to protest the involvement of assassins in day-to-day life. He strode up another, low ranking assassin. “Friends and family of the victim?”

The other assassin nodded, “Yes…they want answers.”

Ezio pulled out his phone, which had the picture of the suspect sent to it, “This is the man we’re looking for. If you see him, alert me immediately.”

“Well…” a young woman was pointed out, “…I believe that’s his wife. She was showing guards a similar picture, saying that she hadn’t seen him since the explosion.”

Ezio glanced at the woman and nodded, slowly making his way over. “Ma’am…I need you to come with me.”

…………………………………………

In the interrogation room, the woman, called Leanne, was clearly not pleased. “You have no idea where Jacopo is?!”

“No…”

“You’re an assassin…” sneered Leanne, “…and you can’t find him?!”

“I…understand your frustration but-“

“Don’t. Just find Jacopo…”

Ezio sighed…this was going to be a long interview. “Signora, do you think that Jacopo could do something like this? Blow up a part of the Temple?”

Leanne sneered, “Do you know what you have to go through to work anywhere near your precious Temple? Jacopo dedicated his life to the assassins! It was his dream! He passed all of the entry exams needed!”

Ezio held up his hands in surrender, gently smiling at her in an attempt to calm her down. “Okay, I had to ask…at the moment, everyone’s a suspect.”

“Jacopo would never do anything like this…” she bowed her head in despair, “…please, find him.”

…………………………………………………….

Meanwhile, Jacob and the rest of the young assassins were reviewing security tapes from outside of the bomb site. They were being assisted by Leonardo, a young artist who also was a mathematical genius. “Hmmmm….” Mused the young, blonde artist, “….based on the trajectory, the bomb was most likely placed near the centre of the building, slightly to the right.”

Haytham frowned, “Why was no bomb residue found?”

Connor shook his head, “This is the garage…someone triggered a car or another vehicle to explode.”

Nodding in agreement, Leonardo held up a shard of plastic, “It is the most likely outcome…”

Jacob sighed at this, “The witness said Jacopo was seen in the area…maybe he planned to do this all along and just kept quiet?”

“Or…” prompted Evie.

“…or it really was an assassin.”

Haytham, who was reading through files, frowned. “I’ve discovered an anomaly….something that should not be here. Debris found close to the blast zone had a strange chemical on it…a volatile one.”

“How volatile?” asked Arno.

“Extremely….but it is also very common.”

Jacob winced, “Great…now we’ve got to chase chemical paperwork.”

Arno nodded, “Monsieur Kenway, Evie, Connor…can you see if Jacopo went to any other part of the Temple….Jacob, let’s see how Jacopo could have gotten his hands on these chemicals.”

…………………………………………………………

Upon looking through the worker files, Jacob instantly spotted an interesting fact. “He was a munitions expert….”he muttered, skimming through Jacopo’s file.

Gently taking the file, Arno frowned. “He was the foreman in charge of guns, bombs and other explosive weaponry…and his speciality was explosive chemical warfare!”

“We need to find this guy…”

…………………………………………………….

In the security room, Arno and Jacob joined the rest of the group….who were watching Haytham scan the footage.

“Have you found Jacopo?” asked Arno.

Haytham shook his head wearily, rubbing the gap between his eyes in order to try and relieve the pressure. “No…nothing.”

Ezio, who had finished his questioning of the suspects’ wife, frowned. “I’ll take some assassins and search the Temple. If he’s still here, he may be planning another attack.”

Haytham shook his head, “I’ll send some of my own men…they’ll get it done much faster. Jacopo will be expecting assassins.”

Reluctantly, the group agreed and the young assassins made their way back to the Grandmaster’s council room.

……………………………………………………

In the council room, Malik did not seem happy with their results. “So…you’ve found nothing?”

“We have a lead we’re following up on-” protested Jacob.

“-but we still don’t have answers.” Finished Evie.

Altair and Malik glanced at each other, and Malik shook his head. “The truth needs to be found soon…there are rumours, whispers that the military police force will need to get involved with the investigation.”

“They can’t do that!” cried out Jacob, barely registering his sister’s grip on his shoulder.

“Soldiers were killed in that explosion…innocent civilians. When individuals such as this are the victims, outside agencies tend to take notice…no matter where they happen.”

Before any of the group could answer, Connor’s communicator began to beep. Upon answering it, his Father’s voice filtered through. “We have found Jacopo.”

“Seal the exits…” ordered Connor, “…make sure he doesn’t escape.”

“Of course…” the sarcasm in Haytham’s voice was clear, “…because I didn’t think of that.”

Connor cut him off in frustration, and the group turned to leave.

…………………………………………………………………………… 

Striding into the room where Haytham was waiting for them, Arno glanced around…and frowned. “Where is he?”

Haytham smirked, “Well…part of him is over here.”

“This is not a time for your jokes or riddles!” growled Connor, as his Father led them all over to a nearby table…where a single hand lay.

Haytham gestured at the hand, “This is all that was left of Jacopo.”

“A hand?” questioned Evie.

“Indeed….the rest of him exploded.”

Jacob frowned, “Because he was so close to the bomb?”

“No…because he was the bomb…” Haytham led them over to a microscope, “…look at this. Leonardo collected this sample from Jacopo’s bloodstream.”

Ezio took a quick glance through the microscope, before letting Jacob have a look. “What is it?”

“The connection that we’ve been looking for about the explosion…”

Jacob stared through the microscope, “Is…the chemical that was found on the bomb fragments? What was it doing in his blood?”

Wearily, Arno rubbed the gap between his eyes as if trying to ward off a headache. “This just keeps getting better and better…we’re going to have to search Jacopo’s house for evidence.”

……………………………………………………

Ezio and Jacob were volunteered for the job, and within the hour, they were entering the apartment block where Jacopo used to live.

Ezio scrunched up his face in disgust at the smell and the sight of rotting rubbish. “This is not the nicest place…”

“Hmmmm…” Jacob nodded in agreement, “….you’d have thought working for the Assassin’s would pay better.”

They knocked…only to be met with silence.

“I thought you said the wife was sent back home?”

Ezio nodded, turning to Jacob….who was giving significant glances to the lock. Grinning, Ezio released his hidden blade and quickly unlocked the door. Upon entering the dark apartment, Ezio called out for the wife.

“Leanne!” ….silence.

“Search the apartment for the chemicals…” Ezio told Jacob, “….but remember, he was a munitions expert. I really don’t want to set off anymore explosions today….I’ll see if he left a note.”

Whilst Ezio was doing that, Jacob used his Eagle Vision to try and see any clues…quietly, he strode through the apartment, eventually ending up in a pitch black corridor. He flicked the light on to see a door at the end of the corridor.

Thankfully, the door was unlocked and Jacob crept through into a kitchen…”Leanne?” Suddenly, something in the room caught his eye….

Meanwhile, Ezio had found some disturbing Anti-Assassin propaganda on the victim’s desk. He was about to examine it further when he heard Jacob call out from a far room.

“Ezio!”

Ezio sped into the kitchen, where Jacob was examining some dust on the outer rim of a bowl. “I think the chemicals were in the food…all he would have had to do was drink a bit of hot tea and the chemicals would have exploded.”

Ezio nodded, “I guess now the question is, did he swallow them willingly or did someone force him to take them?”

“What are you doing here?!”

The pair spun around to see Leanne standing in the kitchen doorway. Ezio took step forward, “We’ve found that Jacopo was involved with the bombing.”

Leanne shook her head in disbelief, “T-that can’t be true!”

“Jacob…check her hands for chemicals.” Ordered Ezio, watching as his friend stepped closer to Leanne, gently taking her wrists and scanning her hands.

“Chemicals?”

Jacob shook his head, “She’s clear…”

“What do you mean chemicals?!”

Sighing, Jacob explained. “Someone may have set Jacopo up…and made him the bomb.”

Leanne’s eyes filled with tears, “I-I don’t understand…”

Knowing that the woman was about two seconds away from a full blown panic attack, Ezio took control. “We’ll need you to come with us…maybe you can help us to make sense of all of this?”

Wrapping her arms around herself, Leanne nodded. “I-I’ll answer any questions I can….”

As they were leading her through the streets…Leanne took her chance. Suddenly, she kicked the back of Jacob’s leg, sending him to the ground, giving her chance to leap onto a passing bus.

“Leanne!” cried out Ezio, “Leanne wait!”

Leanne climbed to the top of the bus as the pair chased her, Jacob limping slightly at first. 

“Take the roofs Jacob!”

“On it!”

Using his rope launcher, Jacob shot up onto the rooftops and pursued the bus from above, leaping from roof to roof as Ezio pushed people out of the way down below. After around five minutes, Leanne leapt onto a bus stop roof and jumped to the ground, racing into an alleyway.

Before the young lady could reach the end of the alley, Jacob leapt onto a bin lid in front of her. “Leanne stop!” he cried out.

She turned to leave the alley…only to come face to face with Ezio. “Let me go!” she yelled.

“Running tells us that you know more than what you’re telling us.” Pointed out Jacob.

“Jacopo is dead and you’re trying to pin his murder on me!”

Ezio frowned, taking a step closer. “Nobody ever said that he was dead Signora.”

“But…” Jacob climbed down from the bin, “…running proves that you had something to do with the bomb!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” spat Leanne angrily

“People blamed Assassin’s because of you! People were killed because of you!” yelled Jacob accusingly.

Leanne grabbed batted Jacob’s hand away, “You can’t prove anything!”

“Did you put the chemicals into Jacopo’s food?” asked Ezio.

Silence.

“ANSWER ME! NOW!”

Leanne glanced from one Assassin to the other….before sighing. “I did feed the chemicals to Jacopo…”

Shaking his head in disgust, Jacob frowned. “You set up your own husband to die?!”

“You are dealing with things you do not understand!”

Jacob chuckled, grabbing the woman’s wrists and handcuffing them behind her back. “Don’t worry, where you’re going, you’ll have plenty of time to explain it to us.”

………………………………………………………………………….

Arno and the rest of the investigative team walked with Malik and Altair, as Arno explained the situation. “We’re keeping Leanne in a cell below the temple in order to await further questioning.”

From around the corner, Haytham appeared. “I am pleased to report there are no more chemicals found in a sweep of the Assassin Temple…I am also pleased to report, that from the security footage, Jacopo acted alone. Which means that no Assassins were involved.”

Connor nodded his thanks, “Thank you…Father.”

Acknowledging the thanks, Haytham walked away. Malik sighed wearily, “Has she told you what her reasoning behind the attack was?”

Jacob shook his head, “No, not yet. But we’re working on that.”

“We should be able to get some motives easily enough…” stated Malik, “…but public opinion is swaying against the Assassins. That much is clear….our actions are becoming less and less popular the more we persist.”

With those final words, Malik and Altair strode away, leaving the group on their own. Jacob sighed, “I’m glad we solved this case, but-“

“-what if it had been an Assassin?” finished Evie.

“Yes. I don’t know how I would have felt if an Assassin had been behind this….”

Waiting until the rest of the group dispersed, Evie tugged her brother into a side corridor. “There are going to be Assassins who disappoint us…” she whispered, “…but remember that there are good Assassins, and everything will be worthwhile.”


	3. The Assassin Who Knew Too Much

Grandmaster Altair limped his way through the burial chamber, his eyes firmly focused on the bodies of the assassins who had fallen during the bombing. Standing in a circle around the chamber, were the rest of the Creed, all of whom had shown up to pay their respects.

“They are now at peace…” his voice echoed throughout the chamber, “….and we all must remember, that this happens to all, and eventually, we will meet our brothers again in the afterlife. Our bodies are temporary, but our souls will go on forever….we shall all find ourselves here in time. I request a moment of silence in order to remember our brothers.”

Jacob, who was standing next to an older assassin called Shay Cormac, noticed that he seemed more distressed than his classmates. “Were you close with one of them?” whispered Jacob.

Shay nodded, gesturing his head at the body in front of them. “Liam O’Brien. He was the one who first brought me to the Creed…he was a good friend.”

Altair continued on with the eulogy, “We must live for those who still remain….our brothers will live on through us forever. Let go of your burdens…and be at peace.”

One by one, the bodies were set alight as they were laid to rest.

……………………………………………………..

After the funeral Jacob, Evie, their Father Ethan and Shay strode through the corridor in silence…well, almost silence. “What’s going to happen to Leanne?” Jacob asked his Father.

“The bomber has been moved…”

“Moved? Where? Why should she be moved?”

“The military police force have taken her into custody.”

“What? But this is an Assassin matter, isn’t it?

“Innocent civilians were killed, along with Assassins. That makes it a matter for the military police as well….an attack on our Temple, could also be seen as an attack on the town itself.”

Evie nodded in agreement with her Father, “Dad’s right. Leanne isn’t an Assassin….it’s not our place to be the judge and jury of a civilian.”

Shaking his head, Jacob clearly disagreed. “We’re Assassins! We’re always being the judge, jury and executioner of those who have committed a crime!” He stood in front of the small group, blocking the way, “If Leanne is guilty, then she should be dealt with!”

“Calm down Jacob!” scolded Evie, “Remember, Assassins do not seek revenge. We go where the job takes us.”

Jacob frowned, before standing down. Shay Cormac shook his head, “The evidence seems clear Jacob…nothing will ever change.”

Jacob noticed that Shay seemed especially upset about this, but before he could say anything, his Father interrupted. “Many civilian politicians believe that the Creed should be removed from as many military matters as possible…we are supposed to be peace-keepers after all. Preventing chaos and conflict.”

Jacob shook his head, “I hope these civilian politicians know what they’re doing…”

“I assure you Jacob…” Ethan scolded, “…that these men rarely make any decisions without thinking through the strategy behind it.”

Ethan then headed towards the stairs, probably to go to a council meeting. Shay then turned to the twins. “I have mission reports to write up…” he bowed his head in respect, “…Evie. Jacob.”

As Shay strode down the corridor, Evie nudged Jacob. “Go on…I can see that you’re dying to speak to him.”

As Jacob ran to catch up, Evie turned to catch up with her Father. “I know he’s the same age as me…but he acts so much younger at times.” She sighed

“Indeed.”

……………………………………………..

Jacob grinned as he caught up to the older assassin. “Company?”

“…Sure.”

“You know…” sighed Jacob, “…every time I think about this, I feel conflicted….it’s hard not to feel emotional about this.”

Shay smirked, “Don’t you think it’s wrong to ignore your emotions?”

“Father says that as Assassins, we have to move past them. We do kill people for a living after all.”

“…You make it sound so easy.”

Jacob chuckled, “No, it isn’t easy….but Evie says it’s possible. Like when Evie and I were stuck inside a Templar base. It would have been easy to give into the fear, but we moved past it and got out! There must have been missions where you’ve done the same?”

Nodding, Shay grinned at the younger assassin. “You see, words like that give a man a reputation for wisdom…”

This caused Jacob to whoop, “Aha! I’ve fooled you into thinking I was wise….I just need to fool everyone else now.”

Suddenly, his phone beeped signalling a message. Glancing at it, Jacob smiled apologetically at Shay. “Sorry. I’m needed. The Templars are mounting another attack…” he began to rush off, only to pause and turn back to Shay, “...Look. It may seem emotional, but I need to believe that, one way or another, this woman will pay for what she did.”

Shay simply raised an eyebrow, “You shouldn’t keep them waiting.”

Jacob nodded and sped off down the corridor….leaving Shay to stare after him.

…………………………………………………….

At the front of the room, Bartolomeo d'Alviano (who was Head of the Mercenaries and a tactical genius, therefore making him an asset), gestured widely at a screen. “Right! We’ve uncovered another cowardly attack from those Templar bastards! We should move to this district here….and then across to this district.”

Malik frowned, “That seems a bit far out of our way….”

Bartolomeo scowled, “I’ve been told to avoid the richer areas of the villages…”

Next to him, stood a military policeman, who straightened up when Bartolomeo pointed at him….very rudely. The policeman ignored this and took a step forward, “Master Malik?”

“Yes…Captain?”

The officer nodded, “Captain Tarko….” He gestured at Jacob, “….the presence of one of your assassins, known as Jacob Frye, has been requested by Leanne Morno.”

Jacob frowned, “The prisoner from the bombing?”

“Why is she asking for Jacob?” asked Ezio, who was clearly confused as he was the one who first interrogated Leanne and was involved in her capture.

Tarko shook his head, “We’re not entirely sure…but Mister Frye is the only one who the prisoner will speak to.”

Grimly, Jacob nodded. “I’ll report back with anything that I find out…” Without waiting for further instructions, Jacob strode out of the room…missing the concerned looks exchanged behind him.

……………………………………………………………….

Upon arriving at the prison, Jacob immediately strode up to the guard window. “Jacob Frye. Leanne Morno asked to speak to me?”

The guard nodded, smirking as he leaned closer to the window. “A lot of people died in that bombing…good job capturing her.”

Computers whirred as Jacob was scanned form head to toe. The guard took one glance at the screen and sighed, “You’ll have to leave all communication devices and weapons here.”

Jacob grimaced, but complied…although it did take a while for him to remove all of his weapons. As soon as everything was secure, a guard came out of the side room. “Follow me.”

Jacob watched in awe at the security measures that the prison had set up. Laser doors sectioned out the corridor and each prison cell (whilst set out with normal bars and steel) had to be accessed with a specific pass-card. The pair walked for around five minutes before arriving at Leanne’s cell.

Once unlocked, Jacob stepped down into the cell. “What do you want Leanne?”

“I-I was told that if ever I needed help, then you are the Assassin to contact. You are friends with almost everyone in the village.”

Noticing that Leanne was staring suspiciously at the guard, Jacob turned to him. “Could you give us a minute please?”

The guard quickly left, closing the door behind him. Once he was sure that they were alone, Jacob turned to glare at Leanne. “You don’t have much time...so I suggest that you get whatever you have to say off your chest.”

Leanne sighed, “The idea of feeding the volatile chemicals to Jacopo was not my idea…”

“Why are you saying this now?! Why not tell us before?!”

“Because my life is in danger! The person behind this will be able to get to me unless you know the truth!”

Jacob scoffed, remaining doubtful. “Huh…so what is the truth?”

“Assassin. It was an assassin who got me the chemicals and then taught me how to handle them in order to create t-the b-bomb…Jacopo. Please…I-I need water.”

Jacob went to grab a glass of water, before handing it to her. “Why would an assassin do this?!”

Leanne took a sip of the water. “There are some people in the town, myself included, who believe that the Creed is not what it used to be! The Assassins have become war-mongers, military weapons…rather than agents of peace. They kill anyone and everyone associated with a target, despite the fact that some of those men are simply trying to earn a living in any way they can. One of your order agreed with us. One of you wanted to make a statement…and was willing to attack their own Creed to do it!”

Leanne turned away, causing Jacob to frown in suspicion. “Who?”

“If you protect me, then I’ll tell you because it’s obvious that I’ve been set up!”

Jacob leaned in close, “Leanne, you have to tell me who’s behind this!”

“I-it-“Suddenly, Leanne began to cough, clearly struggling to catch her breath as blood began to spurt out at Jacob with every cough. The glass of water dropped the ground, shattering on impact. Choking noises began to emit from her mouth. Frantically, Jacob grabbed Leanne, hitting on her the back in an attempt to stop the chocking…until the noises stopped, and Leanne went limp.

In shock, Jacob lowered her to the ground just as guards burst through the door. “I-I don’t know what happened…” he stammered as one of the guards checked Leanne.

“She’s dead Sir…” he told a senior member, “…possibly poison.”

The commander stared down at the body and shook his head, “I can’t say I blame you Mister Frye…all the same, you’re under arrest.”

Jacob’s heart practically leapt up to his throat as a gun was pointed at his head, prompting him to lift his hands into the air. “N-no!” he protested, “N-no, I-I didn’t do this!”

He protested all the way to his own cell.

………………………………………………………………..

After what seemed like hours, the door to his cell slid open and Captain Tarko strode in. Jacob jumped up, “Sir! I don’t know what happened! I came here to talk to Leanne and she said that she was scared of an Assassin!”

Tarko shook his head, “You don’t have to say any more Frye.”

“I don’t?”

“No….you see, there are security cameras in every room.” The Captain tapped on the screen of his tablet, and turned it so that Jacob could see what was on the screen…footage of him getting a glass of water and then, when she was chocking, him hitting her on the back. “The water that was on the floor after she dropped the glass, was tested and traces of a fast-acting poison was found. Curiously there isn’t any sound for this room…but it appears as though the Assassin she was afraid of, was you.”

“I did not kill that woman!”

Captain Tarko launched onto the attack, “You were the only one there! I heard that you were upset when Miss Morno was taken into custody by the military.”

“T-that doesn’t mean anything!”

“I beg to differ…”

“It was someone else Captain….”begged Jacob, “…someone else tampered with the water! Someone that I couldn’t see!”

Tarko frowned, “You know…I find that hard to believe. This is a secure facility, we don’t just have anyone running about. And if there was someone else…”The Captain span around and grabbed Jacob’s chin, “…why didn’t you hear them. Or sense something different in the water?”

Jacob glared at the man, jerking his chin away as he remained silent….not saying anything until Captain Taro left the room.

………………………………………………………..

At the entrance security gate, Ethan stood with the rest of the young assassins. “I said…” ordered the Master Assassin, “…my son is in there!”

“Mister Frye. Captain Tarko has ordered that no-one be allowed inside.”

Ezio noticed, with alarm, that Ethan and Evie’s fists clenched in frustration and anger at the guards words.

Evie shouldered past her Father, “We don’t care what he’s been accused of!” she growled, her finger stabbing the glass, “…Now. Let. Us. In!”

The guard ignored her, pressing a button which summoned a squadron of guards, who surrounded the group. “Sorry Miss Frye. Mister Frye…but the Captain’s orders stand. This is now a military operation and therefore under his jurisdiction.”

Whilst the rest of the group backed away, Ethan and Evie scowled at the guards, batting their hands away when a more forceful attempt for them to leave the building was made. Restraining the urge to force their way in, the pair pushed their way past the rest of the group and stormed out of the building.

………………………………………………………………………..

Meanwhile, in his cell, Jacob rolled over in his bed….sleep eluded him. Shivering slightly due to the cold, Jacob made his way over to the sink and splashed water on his face in an attempt to make him more alert.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Jacob spotted something unusual. “A pass-card?” It lay outside the cell, just within reach, causing Jacob to grin in glee. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down Evie.”

Stretching his hand through the bars, Jacob was able to grab the card and reach across to the access panel. Upon scanning the card, the door clicked open and Jacob was able to leave. “I wonder what you have planned…” he muttered, glancing up and down the corridor.

He darted to the right, racing down the corridor. However, upon turning a corner, he skidded to a halt…three unconscious bodies lay in the corridor

“Fuck…” cursed Jacob, “…this doesn’t look good.”

As the guards slowly began to wake up, Jacob sped past them…until he came upon something strange. “My weapons?” he whispered, bending down to attach the hidden blade back to his wrist, re-sheathe the guns/knifes and grab his cane. Next to the weapons was an unknown communicator. Jacob lifted it off the ground and pressed the ‘speak button’. “Hello? Who is this? Why are you helping me?!”

Suddenly, a door opened and the senior guard entered….only to take a step back in shock. “What’s going on here?!”

Jacob held up his hands, “It wasn’t me!”

The guard slammed his hand on an alarm, triggering an immediate lock down. Jacob’s eyes grew wide in shock, and despite the warning given by the guard, he continued to race down the corridor.

“The Assassin is escaping! The Assassin is escaping!” he heard the guard cry out into his communicator.

Jacob found himself lost in the endless twists and turns of the corridor. As guards ran up towards him, he darted in the opposite direction, leaping through closing doors.

“He’s heading North, up the prison corridor!”

Using skills he’d forgotten about, Jacob flipped and leapt through several closing doors, frantically switching directions when he saw the senior guard at one end of the corridor. Sprinting around another corner, he skidded to a halt when he saw three dead bodies….each with blade injuries to the neck

“Oh come on!” he groaned, “This is not helping me!”

Shots came from behind him, prompting him to continue running, keeping his head low. 

“The Assassin has killed three guards. This is now a Code Red. If you see the suspect…shoot to kill.”

Evie, who had been driven to the building by Sergeant Fredrick Abberline, came rushing up the corridor. “Belay that order Commander!” she ordered.

“He’s killed my men!”

Freddie shook his head in disbelief, “I know Jacob….he would never do anything like this!”

“Then who did?!”

Getting in between the two (who were gearing themselves up for a fight), Evie shushed them. “Quiet….Jacob?! It’s me, Evie!

………………………………………………………..

A couple of corridors down, Jacob heard the cry and stopped to try and catch his breath.

“Stop running!” he heard again.

“You can’t help me Evie!” he called out, “Someone’s setting me up!”

“I believe you Jacob!”

Jacob sighed, shaking his head sadly. “But no-one else will!”

He continued to run.

……………………………………………..

Evie sighed. “Keep searching until we find him….” She turned to Freddie, “…Freddie, call security. Tell them that we need to search the entire base. NOW!”

As Evie raced in the opposite direction, Freddie opened up his communicator and issued orders to his officers. “Miss Frye has issued an all-points bulletin on her brother, Mister Jacob Frye. He’s killed three men and…should be considered armed and dangerous.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

“The prisoner was just spotted in the East Wing! Cell block 1-1-2-8-1-1!”

Jacob smirked as the guards ran past his hiding place, dropping down from the ceiling as soon as they were out of sight and earshot. Quietly, he snuck towards the main doors, sneaking through them as a squadron exited the building. The guards had two dogs with them in order to sniff Jacob out….

Hiding behind a column, Jacob winced as one of the dogs sniffed the air and turned in his direction…after a few tense seconds, the dog began to growl and bark, tugging on the leash towards his location.

Quickly, Jacob scaled the column, managing to get to a suitable height just as the guard on the other end of the leash searched behind the column. Seeing that there was no-one there, the guard tugged on the leash. “Come on, there’s nobody here!”

From his position, Jacob watched the squadron walk away…however, another squadron left the building and spotted him instantly.

“There he is!” yelled the Commander, “Quick! Stop him! Before he gets to the garage!”

Rolling his eyes, Jacob left to the top of a memorial wall, ducking and dodging as bullets flew past his head. Once at the end of the wall, he leapt off and ran towards the cars in the garage. However, the prison had heavy cannons as a defence system and the cars in front of him were blown up, sending the assassin flying through the air.

Pushing himself off the ground, Jacob quickly spotted the guards running towards him and sped off towards the next best escape route.

…………………………………………………………………

“Alright don’t lose him…” ordered the Commander into his communicator as Evie and Freddie strode up behind him.

Evie frowned, “What’s going on?”

“We’ve found him. He’s heading towards the industrial pipe lines.”

“Do not use lethal force! We want him alive!”

…………………………………………………………………………

Jacob huffed and panted as he continued to dodge bullets, sliding down metal bannisters as he headed towards the large pipes.

…………………………………………………………….

Evie watched in alarm as guards loaded up powerful guns. “Do not shoot to kill!” she ordered again, desperately, “Do not shoot to kill! Try to box him in and don’t let him escape!”

She then switched to the line the guards, who were chasing Jacob, were using. “Tell me what you see.”

“He’s heading west…” answered a guard over the communicator, “….we’ve got him now.”

…………………………………………………………………….

Jacob was alarmed to see a helicopter above him, lowering as the side door opened and more bullets came flying out at him. Gritting his teeth, Jacob just kept on running…until the walkway in front of him exploded due to a grenade.

Yelling in shock, Jacob was also sent flying off the walkway. Thankfully, he was able to grab onto the metal bars and pull himself up once again. He ran towards some stairs, only to stop in his tracks when he saw a helicopter appear at the top.

“Not so fast Mister Frye!” ordered the pilot.

Jacob tried to go back the way he came, but soon found himself surrounded at all angles. Glancing up he saw his sister on a higher walkway…silently begging her brother to not do anything stupid.

Predictably, Jacob ignored her and used his rope launcher to reach the top of a pipe, where there was a maintenance entrance.

“JACOB!” he heard his sister cry out as he removed the entrance cover, and dropped into the pipe. Using the darkness of the pipes, he was able to remain hidden…until he slipped in the water and fell forwards to his knees.

“Fuck!” he swore as he heard the guards get closer, pushing himself off the ground and continuing on. Thankfully he managed to disappear down a junction, whereas the guards continued on forwards.

Even as he continued to run, Jacob knew that he was being followed still. After a couple of minutes, Jacob found himself at the end of a pipe, that opened up above a busy motorway, often used by lorries and trucks.

“Jacob…”

Jacob span around to see his sister, who was frowning at him.

“….what are you doing?” she asked.

Jacob scowled at her, “You didn’t even try to help me!”

“They wouldn’t let us in to talk to you!”

“You could of, if you’d tried!”

“And how would that look?! Forcing our way in would have made you look even guiltier!”

“I am not guilty!!” yelled Jacob, tears in his eyes as he tried to plead his case.

“Then we have to prove your innocence….the only way we can do that is to go back!”

“I…I don’t know who to trust!”

Evie took a step closer, “Listen…I would never let anyone hurt you Jacob. Never! But you need to come back and make your case to the council!”

“No!” growled Jacob furiously, “I’m not going to take the fall for something I didn’t do!”

“I am ordering you to place down your weapons and come with me. Now!” She strode closer, “Trust me!”

The sounds of the guards calling out for Evie could be clearly heard, and Jacob backed away. “I do trust you…but you know as well as I do that no-one else will believe me!”

He glanced over the edge of the pipe, to where the lorries sped by underneath. “Evie…” he sighed, “…you need to trust me now!”

“Jacob I do trust you!”

“I know….wish me luck.”

Ignoring the guards coming towards them and Evie’s furious glare, Jacob leapt off the edge of the pipe and managed to land on top of a lorry, latching on using his hidden blade. Glancing up quickly, Jacob caught a glimpse of Evie’s disappointed stare before the lorry disappeared around the corner.

He would clear his name.


	4. To Catch An Assassin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to my new-found interest in Assassin’s Creed, I have decided to start taking prompts for the Frye Twins and their sibling relationship.
> 
> Some of these fics will have a corresponding gif set 
> 
> I am always taking prompts and I hope you enjoy them :)

“Upon further investigation, there can be no doubt that the guards who were killed, were murdered by none other than Jacob Frye himself…” stated Captain Tarko on the screen within the main council-room, “…he persuaded the guard outside the door to let him out of the cell, before killing him….a snapped neck. He then went on to murder five other guards during his escape.”

Ethan sighed wearily, shaking his head. “I don’t believe that my son could have fallen so far…” he pleaded with Malik and Altair.

“The beliefs of the Assassin council are irrelevant!” ordered the Captain, his eyes flickering to the members of the young Assassin team in the doorway, “…we deal with facts and evidence, and the evidence all points to Jacob Frye being behind the attacks on the Assassin Temple and the murder of the officers in the prison! He will be dealt with!” 

With that, the Captain switched off the video, leaving the council-room in shocked silence.

“Evie…” sighed Giovanni Auditore, “…was there no way to stop your brother before he escaped? “

The young Assassin’s moved into the middle of the room, with Evie leading. “No Master Auditore…” she whispered, still in shock herself.

Altair stared at the group, “We believe that Jacob….may be guilty of the crime. Do you all still believe that he is innocent, despite the evidence?”

Ezio stepped forwards at this point, “We’ve all talked about it. We don’t believe that he killed the guards or the woman responsible for the explosion in the Assassin Temple…that’s why he’s running. To prove his innocence! He was like that when we were children….until he could prove it wasn’t him who broke the vase or ate the cookies, or until someone confessed, Jacob would go and hide somewhere.”

“Now he’s probably in the rougher areas of town…” stated Malik “…with his skills, he will be hard to find.”

Altair nodded, “We’ll send two teams. The young Assassins will make up one team, and Ethan will lead another team of older assassins and some guards.”

“No…” interrupted Malik, “…I think another team of older assassins should replace the younger assassins…this case is too personal to them. Having them involved may make things…worse. Haytham should lead the other team.”

Connor seemed displeased with this, “Master Malik, with all due respect, he is our friend!”

“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t go!”

“I think it would be foolish to keep this group off of the mission…” mused Haytham, “…who knows him better than his twin sister and closest friends?”

Malik clearly disagreed, “They’re emotionally tied to him….probably too emotional to do what needs to be done.”

At this point, Edward (who had recently returned from a mission, only to be met with chaos) stepped forwards. “We would rather capture Jacob and try and find out the truth, than let him run because of a lie!”

Altair frowned “You all will have to prove to us that you can remain focused….can you?”

Glancing at his friends, Arno nodded. “We’ve already alerted security in that area to be on the look-out for Jacob.”

“Go then...” ordered the Grandmaster, “….and bring back this lost student…before it’s too late.”

“Yes Grandmaster.” Answered the group, leaving the council room….and missing the sad look exchanged by Altair and Malik.

………………………………………………………………………….

“Connor….”

Connor, who had been packing a small bag of essentials before going on the search mission, span around to see his mother in the doorway.

“Ista…I’m sorry, I can’t stay long.”

Ziio nodded, “I know….we’ve all heard the news of Jacob. Do you believe that he’s guilty?”

Sighing, Connor shrugged. “I don’t know….I want to believe that he’s innocent, but the evidence all points to him betraying the Creed.”

“What does your heart tell you?”

“…I don’t know.” He glanced over at a picture of his Mother and Father, and sighed. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Be with him…with Father, knowing that he’s done so much against the Creed as a Templar.”

Ziio sighed softly to herself, “Because I’ve seen the good in him, I knew that he was a good man…he didn’t have to save me from the mugger that night we met, but he did. And then he helped me get the man and his gang arrested….wanting nothing in return.”

“Except you….”

“I made the first move….your Father was too shy to do anything but stare at me. He didn’t ask for anything in return for saving me, he was selfless that way.”

Connor sighed, “I still don’t understand….but you trust him, so I know I should do the same.”

“And maybe….” Ziio strode closer to her son, and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, “….you should trust Jacob as well. You two were the best of friends growing up….do you really believe that he would betray us?”

“No…but somebody has. Somebody seems to have framed Jacob, and catching him may be the only way to solve all of this.”

………………………………………………..

Jacob strode through the streets, keeping his head down and making sure his hat covered his eyes. Once he was in a relatively clear area, Jacob pulled out the communicator….he wanted to call one of his friends, but knew that he couldn’t trust them not to turn him in.

Sighing he called the person he felt he could trust at this point, “Shay…” he whispered into the communicator, “…Shay, it’s me Jacob.”

//Jacob? I’m very glad you’re safe…\\\

“Safe…” Jacob glanced around, “…but on the run.”

//Where?\\\

“I can’t tell you….but someone is definitely trying to frame me.”

//It’s not safe for you to contact me using the Assassin communication link…find some other way to contact me\\\

“I will.”

//In the meantime, I’ll do some digging and see if I can find out anything to help you on my end.\\\

“Thank you Shay…”

//Be safe.\\\

Jacob quickly closed the communication, his eyes falling on a nearby homeless guy who was drinking heavily. As he strode over, Jacob destroyed the communicator and knelt in front of the drunken man.

“Hey buddy…” he whispered, “…you hungry?”

“Yeah?”

Jacob grinned and pulled some bread he had bought out of his pocket, “Let’s make a trade…”

The guy snatched the bread out of his hand eagerly, before giving Jacob a suspicious look. “What do you want?”

“Your coat.”

Minutes later, Jacob made his way to the bus station in a tatty, hooded coat. When on the bus, he was alarmed to see guards making their way up the carriage.

“Passes please. Passes please.”

Jacob groaned silently, moving towards the door, hoping that it would open before they reached him. When the bus stopped, he thought he was in luck….until the doors opened and he almost walked into three more guards.

Taking a step back in shock, his face was clearly on show.

“It’s him!” cried out one of the men, springing Jacob into action. Using a bar, he swung and kicked the guards back out of the bus just as the doors closed again. He then ran up the bus, towards the front, knocking over people and leaping over seats.

“Grab him!” cried out one of the guards…and one citizen did.

Quickly, Jacob forced the man’s arm behind his back and pushed him towards the guards in a desperate attempt to slow them down. However a guard leapt on top of him, pushing him onto a seat…but Jacob would not be captured so easily.

He pushed the guard away and clung onto a top bar, kicking two more guards away, giving him the chance to get away. As the bus slowed down, Jacob forced the doors over and leapt out, almost knocking over an old lady.

“Watch where ya going brat!” she yelled, as Jacob held up his hands in apology.

“There he is!”

Jacob span around to see more guards, causing him to sprint over some lifts. Just as he entered the lift, bullets flew at him, frying the controls. 

“Not good…” groaned Jacob, as the controls spluttered and sparked…before sending the lift careering down. As the lift shot down, he heard a whimpering from beside him. Glancing over, he saw a small boy…who was trembling in fear.

Wincing, Jacob tried to smile at the child. “Don’t worry little guy….I’ll get us out of this. I’ll find a way out…” He used the side of the lift to clamber up to the top exit, “Maybe I can unlock this…” he muttered, ignoring how the boy yelled at him.

Suddenly the lift came to a screeching halt, causing Jacob to fall to the lift floor. In shock, he stared at the boy…who just pointed at the lifts buttons. “Buttons…make it stop.”

Jacob chuckled at this, “I-I guess I’m not on my game this evening….” He strode over the glass and shattered it, using the rope launcher to help him and the boy reach the ground. The boy’s mother rushed over in relief.

“Thanks kid….” Jacob whispered, “…I owe ya one.”

He then put the hood back up and continued on through the streets….unaware he was being watched.

…………………………………..

Sergeant Frederick Abberline sighed as he drove the Assassin team through the poverty stricken area of town. “Police in this area claimed to have seen Jacob near Chillian Street…”

“Alright. Let’s bring him home.” Ordered Evie.

…………………………………………………………………

Jacob leapt over a low wall that separated an alleyway from the main street. Stepping over rotten food and empty take-away packages, he made his way up the alleyway. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground as two muscular thugs pinned him down, with one even placing a knife to his throat.

“Well, well, well…” cooed a cultured accent as someone came closer, “….I didn’t believe it when I first heard it, but it must be true. The police have issued a very large reward for your scruffy little head….”

Someone stepped into Jacob’s vision…someone all too familiar.

“…And I’m going to be the one to collect.” Chuckled Maxwell Roth, clicking his fingers for his two thugs to lift Jacob to his feet.

Maxwell Roth was a known associate of Crawford Starrick, a powerful Templar. He and Jacob had met a year earlier, when Roth tried to trick Jacob into doing some tasks for him….it was only thanks to his friends and twin sister that Jacob resisted the urge and turned the older man down.

“Roth!” growled Jacob, struggling in their grip, “It was you wasn’t it?! You were the one behind all this, and you were the one who framed me!”

Roth frowned, “I don’t know what you’re talking about my dear.”

“Yes. You. DO!” Relaxing slightly in the thug’s grip, Jacob sneered at the older man, “So what are you now? A bounty hunter? A bit of a step down from Starrick’s pet!”

Not rising to the base, Roth shrugged and smirked. “Maybe…but it’s easy money.” He clicked his fingers, ordering the thugs to start walking

Eventually, Jacob was led to a busy courtyard. “You think you can just hand me over…” he grunted, “…and you’ll what? Get a pat on the back? You’re a known Templar and murderer…..they’ll have us both in jail before you can even say your name!”

“I don’t have to hand you directly over to the Assassins….” Chuckled Roth, “…I can hand you over to the guards and still get the reward money. I’m going to get that money whether you’re dead or alive.”

Jacob chuckled at this, “Ha! Good luck…despite what you hear, I’m still an assassin.”

“I’m afraid the other Assassin’s no longer see it that way.”

Jacob paused, “I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right….which is why I’m going to need your help.”

“…In what universe do you think I would ever help you?!”

“A traitorous assassin tried to blow up the Assassin Temple, and framed me for that crime and other killings.” Explained Jacob, twisting his head so he could look at Roth.

Roth just chuckled, “Hmmmm, so the Assassins aren’t as noble as they lead us to believe.”

“I know Starrick once tried to have you killed….” Sighed Jacob, “….I know he betrayed you. What if one of his new….favourites is an Assassin? What if they’re responsible for framing me? I’ve been betrayed just like you…I hate to admit it, but we have a lot more in common than you think.””

Sneering, Roth shook his head. “What can you offer me that’s better than money?!”

There was a pause, before Jacob grinned. “I can speak to the Council on your behalf…get you a full pardon for your crimes?”

“…You have my attention. I’m going to go where the tide flows.” Roth exclaimed dramatically, “If the tide flows against you, don’t think I’ll forget about the bounty on your head.” 

“Fair enough.”

Roth clicked his fingers for the thugs to release Jacob, staring at something over Jacob’s shoulder. “I suggest we choose a safer place to discuss this…”

Jacob span around to see a police car entering the area, speeding towards them, the headlights clearing illuminating the pair.

“Stop where you are!” ordered a familiar voice as Jacob and Roth ran into a narrow alleyway, where the car couldn’t go. Roth knocked over several boxes, blocking whoever was running after them. Before disappearing into the night, Jacob glanced behind him and sighed at the betrayed look on his twin’s face.

He shook his head at her, silently urging her not to follow as Roth grabbed his shoulder and pulled him along.

‘Sorry Evie…’ thought Jacob, ‘….but I need to do this.’

……………………………………………………..

“Roth….” Hissed Evie in anger, spinning around to face the rest of the group, “…split up! I want them found!”

………………………………………………………………….

Jacob winced as a rotten floorboard cracked underneath his feet, “Nice place you have here…”

“Not everyone in this town lives in a luxurious Temple.”

“Yeah….I guess I should get used to that.”

Roth just shook his head, throwing Jacob a mobile. “Just make the call.”

Jacob rolled his eyes and began to tamper with the phone, hacking into the Assassin network….it paid to be friends with the techies.

“Adding another crime to your ever-growing list?” asked Roth sneering from his moth-bitten, armchair.

“I don’t want them to trace this call….” Once satisfied, Jacob dialled the number and waited. “…Shay? Shay it’s me.”

//Jacob? It’s so good to hear from you! Are you okay?\\\

Jacob shrugged, “Yeah, I’m okay…if you consider my sister and the rest of the young Assassins on my tail a good place to be.”

//You were almost captured?\\\

“Once or twice, yeah.”

//Where are you?\\\

“I-I can’t say Shay.”

//Hmmm, well I think I’ve found a clue!\\\

Jacob grinned at this, “A clue?! How? Where?”

//We don’t have much time Jacob...\\\

………………………………………………………………….

Connor perched on the windowsill of the broken-down house, listening to what he was sure, was Jacob’s voice.

“-okay, I’m on Fleet street.” He heard.

Sighing, Connor passed this information on to the police.

…………………………………………………………………………….

//Hmmm…three blocks away, there’s an abandoned warehouse that used to make munitions. Leanne visited it when she had access to the explosive chemicals.\\\

“How did you find this out?”

//I told you I would do some checking! \\\

Jacob sighed in relief and grinned, “Thanks Shay.”

//Be safe Jacob.\\\ 

Hanging up, Jacob strode over to Roth who smirked at him. “Well?”

“I think I have a lead.”

“Hmph. It doesn’t seem like you need my help.”

“That’s not true. We need to find an abandoned munitions warehouse in this area. We may find some clues there.”

Roth thought to himself for a few moments, causing Jacob to narrow his eyes suspiciously. “You know where I’m talking about, right?”

“Yes….I can get you there.”

Suddenly, there were the sounds of footsteps and the pair quickly found themselves blocked in by guards. Jacob held up his hands in surrender. “Listen! I don’t want to fight!”

“I do…” sneered Roth, moving into a defensive position.

“We’re taking you in Mister Frye.” Stated one of the guards, his gun fixed on Jacob.

Jacob shook his head, “That’s not gonna happen, trust me. Now, I’m going to hurt any of you…” he paused, glancing at Roth, “…we’re not going to hurt any of you. But you’re not taking me in!”

The guards stepped closer, and the lead guard’s grip tightened on the gun. “Frye…we are taking you in.”

This seemed to please Roth, who drew a knife from the inside of his jacket. “Let’s play…” he leapt at the guards, causing them all to back away.  
“Roth no!” ordered Jacob, however, this momentary lapse enabled one of the guards to grab his shoulder. Desperately, Jacob kicked the man away, then proceeding to knock him and two other guards out. Twisting around to check on Roth, he was surprised to see that the older man was also just knocking the guards out.

In a matter of minutes, the pair manged to knock out all the men. Once sure that everyone was down, Roth smirked at Jacob. “See? Didn’t kill one of them…it’s the new me.”

Ignoring him, Jacob sprinted out of the house, closely followed by Roth. Roth then led him down a few streets to a warehouse. “There it is…” began Roth, “…and this is where you’re meant to find this clue?”

Jacob stared up at the building, lost in thought until Roth cleared his throat. “Well I’ve upheld my end of the bargain…it’s all up to you from here on out. But don’t forget, you have to speak to the council on my behalf now. That was the deal.”

“Agreed….thanks for helping me get this far.” Jacob grinned, “I have to admit, I never saw us doing anything together…not again.”

“These are strange times my dear…” 

With that, Roth strode away, leaving Jacob outside the factory. 

………………………………………………………………

Roth tiptoed down the alleyway, keeping his eyes open for any fool that might dare to rob him. Suddenly, there was the sound of can’s falling over behind him, causing him to spin around. Against the wall, he could see the shadow of a top hat….a very familiar top hat.

“I thought we agreed to part ways!”

However, it soon became clear that it was a complete stranger walking up the alleyway…a stranger who gave the theatre owner a very confused look. Roth snarled at him, turning around to continue walking home….only to be struck across the face with a pipe.

Without even making a sound, Roth feel to the ground unconscious…missing a hooded figure steal his unique knife.

………………………………………………………..

Meanwhile, Jacob crept through the warehouse. “How am I meant to find a clue when I don’t even know what I’m looking for?!”

As Jacob continued to search, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him, turning around just in time to block the knife to his throat. The hooded figure attacked again and again, sending Jacob further and further into the warehouse, until finally, Jacob kicked them back.

In the light, Jacob could clearly see a familiar knife. “Roth?” He then scanned the figure from head to toe and shook his head. “No….you’re not Roth. You may have his knife, but he doesn’t fight like that and he certainly isn’t the same body type as you! You’re the traitor!”

Knowing that they had been found out, the figure made a run for it, clambering up to the next level of the warehouse…Jacob wasn’t far behind.

“Why are you here?!” called out Jacob into the dim area, “WHY?!”

Suddenly, he heard some pipes clang together behind him, prompting him to spin around and block another attack. The pair fought again, leaping at each other until the figure kicked Jacob across the platform, sending him crashing into a tower of boxes.

Jacob wheezed in pain, stumbling towards the figure….who decided to climb up to the next level once again. This time, they sliced through a rope holding metal barrels back, sending them rolling towards Jacob. 

“Oh come on!” Jacob groaned, pressing himself against the wall as the figure sped away. Thankfully, he was able to catch up and the fight began again.

This time, Jacob managed to hold against the figure for over ten minutes…up until the point where he was kicked back once again and the figure tipped a barrel of flammable oil over, pulling a match out of his pocket, lighting it and dropping it into the puddle.

The warehouse was full of explosive materials, so when the flames shot up, Jacob dived behind a wall and desperately tried to get to a safe point.

………………………………………………..

Meanwhile, near the warehouse, two guards took a step back in shock as the sounds of explosions echoed throughout the area.

One of them contacted Sergeant Abberline. “Sir, we have suspicious activity in a warehouse near Fleet street…”

……………………………………………………….

Dazed from the explosions, Jacob struggled against the figure’s grip, who threw them into a wall…and then into another pile of boxes. Slipping to the edge of a platform, Jacob cried out in alarm when his cane fell over the edge.

With a new-found determination, Jacob pushed himself off the ground and began hand-to-hand combat….however, he was too weak to hold his ground and was knocked to the ground again. This time, he fell through wooden boards, falling several feet before landing with a thud on the ground.

“Hello broken ribs…” he muttered, groaning and yelping in pain. He twisted onto his front and began to push himself up, only to see a box of chemicals in front of him. “Huh…” he examined the symbol, soon concluding it was explosive in nature, “…found the clue.”

He glanced up to see the hooded figure dart away, however, upon turning around he saw armed guards rushing towards him. “No wait!” he begged, hands up in surrender, “Let me explain!”

The guard didn’t listen. With a startling buzz, the guard tasered Jacob, sending him straight into unconsciousness.

From the darkness, the young Assassins appeared, with Evie racing over to her brother and kneeling beside him. Smoothing his hair away from his face, she gently took a hold of his hand. 

Meanwhile, Edward was searching the boxes and began to shake his head. “Explosive chemicals….if I’m not mistaken, these are the same ones used in the attack.”

Evie shook her head in denial, “I-I can’t believe it…” Seeing that the rest of her group was staring at her, waiting for her to take the lead, she pushed herself away from her unconscious body, “…strip him of his weapons and take him to the van.”

……………………………………………..

Travelling back to the Temple, Ethan was contacted by Grandmaster Altair.

“I assume you’ve caught him?”

“Yes Grandmaster.”

“Without incident?”

“No…” Ethan glanced to the back of the prison transport van and sighed, “…he was subdued by the guards and found in possession of explosive chemicals.”

“It still doesn’t explain Roth’s involvement!” protested Evie, “We saw him with Jacob in the courtyard….I think there’s more going on than we know.”

Malik, who was standing by Altair, raised an eyebrow. “By Jacob…or against him?”

“That…” interrupted Ethan, “…remains to be seen.”

Evie nodded reluctantly, “We’re bringing him back to the Temple.”

Sighing, Malik nodded. “Let’s just hope that we can keep him here.”


	5. The Wrong Assassin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to my new-found interest in Assassin’s Creed, I have decided to start taking prompts for the Frye Twins and their sibling relationship.
> 
> Some of these fics will have a corresponding gif set 
> 
> I am always taking prompts and I hope you enjoy them :)

“The military council have asked that Jacob Frye be indicted for crimes against this society.” Stated Captain Tarko, his tone making it clear that it was an order.

“Jacob Frye will have a fair trial….” Sighed Altair in response to the Captain, “…in accordance with Assassin tradition.” 

“Ah yes, Assassin tradition….I’m afraid, Grandmaster Altair, that the military believes that an internal Assassin trial will seem…biased.”

Altair raised an eyebrow as the Captain continued. “Therefore, we ask that you expel Jacob Frye from the Creed, so that he can tried by a military tribunal, receiving a more….impartial judgement.”

“And who would represent Jacob in this tribunal?” asked Haytham, clearly disliking the idea.

“That would be up to the military…Mister Kenway. I would recommend someone outside of the Creed.”

Haytham simply smirked at this, “Of course you would…”

Before Haytham could say anything that the Captain would take offense to, Malik stepped in. “This council will do what it deems to be necessary…thank you Captain.”

Captain Tarko nodded, switching off the communicator, leaving the council alone.

“We can’t seriously do what Tarko has suggested!” exclaimed Haytham, “We need to stand together with Jacob! That’s how we have always operated.”

“And yet…” began Giovanni, “…there is evidence to suggest that he is the mastermind behind the attacks on the Temple.”

Achilles nodded in agreement, “He was found in the possession of explosive chemicals. This alone is enough to convict him.”

Malik sighed, “I understand your conviction Haytham, but if we do as you suggest, then it could be seen as opposition to the civilian military…I don’t believe we have much choice.”

He turned to Altair, who sighed wearily. “Summon Jacob to the Chamber of Judgement…along with his friends as his support. Let us hope that we make the right choice.”

……………………………………………………………………..

Jacob watched as his sister and Father paced backwards and forwards, with the other members of the young Assassins glancing at him every so often. “You guys are not helping…” he sighed.

Ethan ignored him, but Evie nodded and took a seat next to him. “Sorry baby brother, I-I just don’t know what to do!”

“I’m only a few minutes younger…and don’t worry, I don’t know what to do either.”

A bell ring echoed throughout the room, prompting the Assassin guards to escort Jacob out of the cell and into a large room, with the council members seated in a circle. Whilst Jacob was led to the centre, his family and friends stood on the outskirts of the circle, listening closely.

“Jacob Frye…” began Altair sternly, “….you have been accused of some serious charges. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty Grandmaster Altair. I follow the Creed and would never take the lives of innocents. The values of this Creed are sacred to me.”

Giovanni then spoke up, ignoring his son’s glares from outside the circle. “There is evidence to the contrary. You were alone with Leanne when she died, how do you explain that?”

“Someone poisoned the water…before I even got there!”

“Which brings us to Roth…” began George Westhouse, who was temporarily replacing Ethan on the council, “….can you explain your association with him?”

“We had….a mutual understanding. I thought he would help me!”

“Did he help you acquire the explosive chemicals that you were apprehended with?” asked Malik, “The same chemical used in the bombing of the temple?”

“No! I was set up and deceived! Just like you’re being deceived now!”

Malik frowned, “The question is Mister Frye, who is deceiving us? Roth, you or someone else?”

“I am not deceiving you!” begged Jacob, “I would assume Roth is…but I can’t be sure. The man who attacked me in the warehouse fought like an assassin.” He sighed and glanced at the floor, “My…senses are clouded.”

“Everything is clouded young one…” sighed Altair, “…dangerously clouded. But it is not just surrounding you…it is surrounding many things in times like these.”

Suddenly Ethan from outside the circle stepped forwards, despite the warning from the guards. “You’ve already made up your minds haven’t you?!” he cried out, “This meeting is just a formality!”

Haytham winced at the devastated look on his son’s face, looking away when Altair bowed his head in clear grief. “We have reached a decision…” began the Grandmaster, “…though we are not all in agreement with it.”

Malik sighed, “It is the opinion of the council that Jacob Frye has committed treason against the Creed…and thus he will be expelled from the Assassin Creed.”

Jacob shook his head in denial, too shocked to even spin around when he heard the cries of his friends and family behind him.

“You can’t do this!” yelled Evie, trying to push past the guards

Edward seemed to be in agreement, “This is bullshit!!!”

“Figli di puttane!!” Ezio this time.

Giovanni ignored the curses of his son, “Your rank shall be stripped from you, and the privileges and benefits you once gained from your title will no longer be made available to you. Military guards will escort you to the courts, where you will await your trial and whatever punishment is handed to you…”

One of the guards grabbed a shell-shocked Jacob from the back and handcuffed him.

“From this moment on…” continued Giovanni, “…you are barred from the Creed.”

…………………………………………………….

In his cell back in the military prison, Jacob sat in silence. The door hissed open and Ethan, along with another gent, entered, causing Jacob to smile slightly in relief. 

“Mister Georges Danton…” Ethan introduced the other man, “….has agreed to represent you in court. Your friend, Arno, recommended him. He’s not fully associated with our Creed, so the military should approve of the decision.”

Danton nodded, “I’ll do everything in my power to prove your innocence Monsieur Frye.”

“I’m almost certain the person responsible is an assassin…” growled Jacob, “…He was in the warehouse, in the room and we fought! But he got away…didn’t any of the guards see anything?”

“No…” sighed Ethan, “…none of the guards saw anything. Your original statement said that Roth led you to the warehouse and then left before you entered?”

“Yes….the man who attacked me wanted to make it seem like it was Roth who attacked me, but missed that mark by a mile! Although, he did have Roth’s prize knife with him.”

“Well, if that’s all the evidence we have, then I know what I and the young assassins have to do.”

Ethan moved to leave, but Danton frowned. “Where are you going Monsieur? You cannot leave now!”

“Yes I can. I have to find whoever attacked my son and get to the bottom of this.”

With that, Ethan left, leaving Jacob alone with Danton. “Well…” sighed the lawyer, “…until we hear from your Father, let’s work on your defence.”

Jacob sighed, “Forgive me if I’m not optimistic….I thought I was a part of that Creed. But almost everyone seems to have given up on me, abandoned me! I’m not holding out much hope that the military judge will treat me any differently.”

……………………………………………………………………………..

Roth smirked as he sensed a familiar presence behind him, “Miss Frye….what a pleasure.”

He span around to see the other Frye twin glaring at him, “I know you’re the real culprit behind all of this.”

“Prove it!”

Evie leapt at the older man, kicking him back several times as the man grunted in pain.

“Leave me alone!” growled Roth as he tried to fight back, however, he soon found himself pinned against the wall, chocking slightly as Evie tightened her grip on his throat.

“Tell me what happened!” ordered Evie.

“W-when I heard your brother was on the run, I thought he might bring in a large bounty!” coughed Roth, “I was going to cash the check and turn him into the authorities!”

Evie released her grip and scowled, “What stopped you?”

“I admit…” coughed Roth, rubbing his throat, “…at first I was only interested in the money and revenge…but then I realised that Jacob and I had a lot in common.”

“How dare you compare yourself to Jacob?!”

Roth whirled around in anger, “It’s true! Starrick is thinking of abandoning me….and you and your precious Creed abandoned Jacob. We are exactly the same!”

Evie wanted to disagree….but found that she couldn’t.

……………………………………………………………………..

Jacob tried not to show fear as he was led into another courtroom….this one bigger and with a lot more people who disliked him. Seated on a balcony to his right, were the members of the Assassin council. Standing beside him was his lawyer, Danton and on the other end of the room, was Captain Tarko.

“Jacob Frye…” drawled the Judge, “…you have been charged with treason against the Assassin Creed and our society itself. This court will decide your fate…Prosecution, you may begin your argument.”

Captain Tarko stepped forwards. “Mister Frye. I shall prove that you were the mastermind behind the attack on the Assassin temple. Once your accomplishes had carried out your orders, you eliminated them one by one! When you are found guilty, I ask that the full extent of the law be brought down upon you!”

Jacob’s eyes widened in shock, he didn’t mean-

“-this includes the penalty of death!”

………………………………………………………………….

“After I left the warehouse, thus leaving your brother alone, I was walking away and I thought that he was coming up behind me to talk some more…” Roth sighed, “…but I was wrong. Someone came up and hit me over the head. And not just anyone can sneak up on me….it had to have been another one of your kind!”

“I don’t believe you…”

“Believe it! Whoever is responsible now has my treasured knife….it literally has my initials on the handle. That’s how you’ll know you’ve found the criminal.”

Evie sighed wearily, “Well this led me to a dead end…You’re the only one Jacob talked to!”

“…That’s not true.”

This caused Evie to spin around, “What do you mean?”

“Your brother contacted the Temple and spoke to someone called….” Roth thought to himself for a few moments before clicking his fingers, “…Shay! That’s why we knew to go to the warehouse in the first place. It was this ‘Shay’ who told us to go there!”

Evie snarled in frustration, “If you’re lying, you’re dead!” she hissed, before disappearing into the shadows.

Roth simply stood there and smirked, “Such promises my dear…”

…………………………………………………………..

“Look at the facts!” exclaimed Danton, “Leanne called Jacob to her cell in order to tell her the identity of the true mastermind behind the Temple attacks. Leanne told him that she was afraid, that the mastermind was an Assassin and before she could tell Jacob the identity, Leanne was killed by way of poison through the water she drank. Why would Jacob kill Leanne when he was still in the room?! Of course he would be the obvious suspect!”

He took a deep breath, “Now, an Assassin may be responsible for the Temple attacks….but that Assassin is not Jacob Frye! Members of the court, you are prosecuting the wrong Assassin!”

Slow clapping came from the prosecution side as Captain Tarko stepped forwards, “Well said Mister Danton, however, if he is innocent then why was he seen conspiring with known Templar, Maxwell Roth?!

Jacob scowled at the Captain, “Someone is setting me up! My friends and family will prove this!”

“And where are they now?”

“They’re trying to find the real murderer!

“Then maybe…” snarled Tarko, “…they should be looking at you!”

…………………………………………………..

Arno closed the communication between him and Evie, striding down the corridor towards Shay’s room. The other members of his group had initially protested at the idea of Arno confronting Shay due to the tension between the two, but had eventually backed down.

He knocked twice on the door.

“Enter” 

Arno slid open the door to see Shay meditating on the floor. “Shay…” he began, “….I need to talk to you.”

“Arno?!” exclaimed Shay in surprise, pushing himself to his feet, “What can I do for you?”

Arno wandered over to Shay’s bedside table and slyly removed one of Shay’s daggers, “Someone told me that you talked to Jacob. I need to know what you said to him.”

Frowning Shay shrugged, “We’ve talked every so often, and I’d like to consider us friends. I was only trying to help him….I hope I’m not in any trouble for trying to help a friend.”

“No, no, no trouble…” Arno examined the dagger, “…I just need to know what you told him, and whether you told anyone else.”

“No, I thought I had a clue for him, but I really couldn’t tell him anything…who told you I spoke to him?”

“Roth…he told Evie.”

Shay frowned, “Roth? Isn’t he a Templar? Surely he might be behind this?”

“Other members the Creed may agree with you. Roth believes it was someone else.”

“And you believe him?!” Shay smirked at Arno, “Who else could it be but him? Surely not Jacob?”

“No…no I don’t think it was Jacob either…we think they’re both telling the truth.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Arno watched as Shay slowly began to back away, heading towards his sword. “But…” he continued, “….there’s only one way to find out.”

With a lunge, Arno blocked Shay’s path to his sword and swung at him with Shay’s own dagger. This forced Shay to use the only other weapon he had on him…a dagger with the initials M.R engraved in gold on the handle.

“Funny…” Arno growled, “….that belongs to Roth.”

Shay snarled and went on the offense, as Arno tried to force Shay back long enough to draw his sword. 

“You should have gotten rid of it!” growled Arno.

“Really? I think it suits me!”

The fight continued, with the two of them eventually forcing each other back long enough to grab their swords...although, Arno was able to get the upper hand by kicking Shay through his door.

…………………………………………………….

“I’m sure many of you…” began the Judge, “….look upon this former Assassin and think, surely he cannot be this murderer or saboteur that they speak of? And yet, think about all the times that we have been fooled by the Templars, how they have infiltrated this society time and time again, and think to yourselves….is this another Templar scheme? Another way to rip the Assassin, and subsequently all of us, apart?!”

………………………………………………………………..

Arno and Shay clashed swords up the corridors of the Temple.

“Jacob trusted you!” snarled Arno, “And you betrayed him!”

Shay frowned, “I’ve learnt that trust is over-rated. The only thing the Assassin council believes in is violence!”

The fight continued, with each often getting the upper hand. After being kicked to the ground, Shay seemed as though he was about to escape down the corridor, however, his path was blocked by Assassin guards, who immediately drew their weapons at the sight.

Seeing that he couldn’t escape that way, Shay ran at a nearby window, shattering the glass and leaping out onto the rooftops. Arno was quick to follow, however, Shay was able to kick Arno down towards the ground, where a class of children were being taught self-defence.

As Arno lay on the ground, one of the children glanced up to see Shay leaping down towards them. “Look out!” the child cried out.

Thanks to the warning, Arno was able to deflect the attack, continuing the fight despite the class just to the side of them. They lunged and swiped at each other for another few minutes before finally, Arno manged to disarm Shay and pin him up against a tree.

“It’s over…” he growled, “….stand down!”

………………………………………………………………………………

“The members of the jury have reached a verdict….” The Judge stated, “…Jacob Frye. By an overwhelming number of votes-“

The doors leading into the courtroom burst open and Ethan Frye stormed in, closely followed by the rest of Jacob’s friends “Stop!”

The judge frowned at the interruption, “I trust you lot have a good reason for interrupting these proceedings Mister Frye.”

“We have come with evidence and a confession from the true person who committed the crimes that Jacob has been accused of!” cried out Ethan to the court, as he and the other Assassin’s moved to the side, “Shay Patrick Cormac! Member of the Assassin’s Creed…”

Shay stepped forwards, a determined look on his face with his hands bound together in handcuffs.

“….and traitor!”

Jacob’s eyes were wide in shock as he stepped forwards. “Shay…is that true?”

Shay remained silent for a few moments, prompting Connor to growl at him. “Tell them the truth!”

“Fine…” growled the Irishman, “…I did it! Because I realised what the majority of this society have already realised! That the Assassins are the ones responsible for our pain and suffering, for the death and despair! The Creed has lost its way! We should be the ones on trial, all of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Creed has become…and army fighting for evil, having fallen from the light that we held so dear! This society will fall...it’s only a matter of time.”

Two guards grabbed Shay by the arms as the Judge sneered down at the young man. “Take him away!”

The guards led Shay out of the door as Evie and her friends turned to grin at Jacob. Jacob however, could only muster up a small, sad smile, staring at the ground.

………………………………………………………………………………..

Early the next morning, Jacob, the council and Jacob’s friends stood in the council building. 

“Jacob….” Sighed Evie, “…I am so sorry…so sorry. About everything”

Jacob just nodded, uncharacteristically remaining silent as his Father stepped forwards. “You have our most humble apologies son. The council was wrong to accuse you.”

“You have shown great strength and resilience throughout your struggle to prove your innocence.” Achilles this time, grief clear on his face….he had been the one to train Shay when he was a child.

Giovanni nodded, “This is the true sign of an Assassin.”

“This was actually…” began Malik, “…your great trial. Now we see that.”

Jacob crossed his arms and rose his eyebrow in disbelief as Malik continued. “This trial has made you a greater Assassin than you would have, if you hadn’t gone through this trial.”

Altair, from his seat, nodded. “You may come back into the Creed.”

Seeing that her brother clearly wasn’t happy, Evie stepped forwards. “They’re asking you back Jacob…we’re all asking you back.”

There was silence for a few moments as Jacob stared at them all. Everyone was smiling at him, as though everything was alright….but it wasn’t. With a deep sigh, Jacob turned to his sister and shook his head. “I’m sorry Evie…” he whispered, tears building in his eyes, “…but I’m not coming back.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and left the council room. Behind him, everyone was glancing at each other in shock. After a couple of minutes, Evie took a couple of steps forwards before rushing out of the door to follow her brother, with Haytham gently holding Ethan back from following her.

By the time Evie caught up with her brother, he was almost out of the Temple door. “Jacob wait!” she called out….but he kept walking. “Jacob! I need to talk to you!”

Finally, her twin stopped in the Temple entrance, letting her catch up. She frowned as he turned around, “Why are you doing this?!” she asked.

“The council didn’t trust me! So how can I trust myself?!”

“What about me?! What about Father and your friends?! We all trusted you and stood by you!”

Jacob smiled at his sister, “I know you trusted me Evie…and I’m grateful for that. But this isn’t about you! I can’t stay here any longer…not now.”

“The Creed is your life, you can’t throw it away like this! Jacob, you are making a mistake!”

“Maybe….but I have to sort this out on my own. Without the council…” He turned away, “…and without you.”

Evie was stunned into silence, tears building in her eyes as she watched Jacob stride away…and there she stayed until Jacob could no longer be seen.


End file.
